Bithlo Group Complains To Governor

BITHLO — Saying that Orange County officials have turned a deaf ear to problems in the community, the Bithlo Betterment Committee has sent a letter to Gov. Bob Graham asking for help.

The letter, mailed last week, lists many of the problems plaguing Bithlo and suggests that not enough is being done by the county.

''There is a total lack of law enforcement, zoning and code enforcement, or any type of enforcement'' in the area, reads the letter, signed by Thomas Rudge, vice president of the group.

Rudge said the committee hopes the letter, which tells of families living in condemned homes and raising pigs, chickens and goats in residential sections, will at least catch the eye of someone in Graham's office who can put pressure on the county to take some action.

Copies of the letter were also sent to U.S. Sen. Paula Hawkins, U.S. Rep. Bill McCollum and state Sen. John Vogt.

Rudge said although the county worked well with the group when it was formed a year ago in response to a challenge by Commissioner Lou Treadway, ''soon thereafter, everything stopped and now it is as if we never existed.'' The letter also claims that letters and phone calls to county officials are continually answered with, ''We don't have the money or we don't have the personnel to handle your problems.''

''It's hard to believe that a community 16 miles from Orlando, 'The City Beautiful,' can be so swept under the rug and forgotten by all county departments,'' the letter states.

Treadway, whose district includes the area, said he had not seen the letter or heard the specific complaints so he could not respond to the group's allegations.

''Some actions have been taken out there,'' Treadway said. ''If they would be kind enough to bring the complaints to me, I could see where they stand.'' Rudge said the committee fears that the county may have reduced efforts in the area recenty because the group was having problems. Since March, the committee has had to fill three vacancies and shuffle posts as a result of resignations, relocations and a death.

''Every organization is going to have problems,'' Rudge said, ''but at no time did we ever stop functioning.''

The group will hold its next general meeting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the First Missionary Baptist Church.